- Alberto Gianquinto -- keyboards

- Lacy Gibson -- guitar

- Tony Gooden -- drums

- Snapper Mitchum -- bass

- A.C. Reed -- sax

- Son Seals (RIP 2004) -- vocals, guitar

- Albert Collins & The Icebreaker (A.C. Reed)

Genre: blues

Rating: 3 stars ***

Title:  Live and Burning

Company: Alligator

Catalog: AL 4712
Year: 1978

Country/State: Osceola, Arkansas

Grade (cover/record): VG / VG

Comments: cut top right corner

Available: 1

GEMM catalog ID: 5

Price: $15.00

Given his upraising, the late Son Seals' musical career may have been predetermined.  Born in Osceola, Arkansas. his father owned a local blues club (The Dipsy Doodle Club) with Seals growing up with a front and center view to a slew of blues acts.   He started out as a drummer and in his teens started backing some of those blues.  Seals also switched his attention from drums to lead guitar, starting his own band.  By the early 1970s Seals was living in Chicago where he became a staple on the city's club circuit.  His big break came in 1972 when a club owner contacted Alligator Records owner Bruce Iglauer with a tip about Seals.  Iglauer checked Seals out and promptly signed him to Alligator Records.

Recorded at Chicago's Wise Fools Pub, 1978's "Live and Burning" captured Seals in his natural element.  Playing in front of a small, but enthusiastic audience and backed by a top rate band including drummer Tony Gooden, bassist Snapper Mitchum, and sax player A.C. Reed, the album found Seals and company effortlessly rolling through a mixture of covers and a couple of originals.  Blues sets have a tendency to suffer from a certain 'sound the sameness' effect, but Seals was the real thing.  He owned a great voice, and was a fantastic guitarist capable of playing as well if not better than most rock guitarists.  That characteristic was also where he diverged from most of his blues competitors. Yeah, blues was the predominant genre, but anyone calling themselves a rock guitar fan should be dazzled by Seals performance on numbers like 'Funky Bitch' and ''.    By the way, critics seem to favor another Seals live set ("Spontaneous Combustion"), but my nod goes to this one since it has a tougher sound (complete with occasional blown notes and flubs) and Seals himself came off like he was having a lot of fun throughout (check out some of Seals' stage patter).  

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LDetroit Junior's deliberate "Call My Job," Elmore James' "I Can't Hold Out," his own "Help Me, Somebody" —    club full of real blues lovers. Although the set here features several covers (Son is one of the great composers, as you'll learn on subsequent albums), they are delivered in quite personal, intense renditions (esp. Litle Walter's "Last Night") that show that Son picked up the best from watching the legends who used to play his father's Arkansas club in the 1950's. This is one of the gems on the Alligator label, so by all means buy it along with the others he has in the catalog. His vocals have grit, and his guitar is like a nasty fusion of BB, Albert (King), and Hubert Sumlin. And see Son when he plays near you.

"Live and Burning" track listing:
(side 1)

1.) I Can't Hold Out   (Elmore James) - 

2.) Blue Shadows Falling   (Glenn) 

3.) Funky Bitch  (Son Seals) - 

4.) The Woman I Love   (King - Josea) - 

(side 2)
1.) Help Me, Somebody  (Son Seals) - 

2.) She's Fine   (Reed) - 

3.) Call My Job    (Williams - Perkins) - 

4.) Last Night   (Jacobs) - 

5.) Hot Sauce  (Son Seals) - 

Seals' jagged, uncompromising guitar riffs and gruff vocals were showcased very effectively on that 1973 debut set, which contained his "Your Love Is like a Cancer" and a raging instrumental called "Hot Sauce." Midnight Son, his 1976 encore, was by comparison a much slicker affair, with tight horns, funkier grooves, and a set list that included "Telephone Angel" and "On My Knees." Seals cut a live LP in 1978 at Wise Fools Pub; another studio concoction, Chicago Fire, in 1980, and a solid set in 1984, Bad Axe, before having a disagreement with Iglauer that that was patched up in 1991 with the release of his sixth Alligator set, Living in the Danger Zone. Nothing But the Truth followed in 1994, sporting some of the worst cover art in CD history, but a stinging lineup of songs inside. Another live disc, Spontaneous Combustion, was recorded at Buddy Guy's Legends club and released in June of 1996. Over the years, Seals had his share of hardship, bad deals, unemployment, and rip-offs that go on in the music business. However, his personal life took two devastating blows in the late '90s. On January 5, 1997, during a domestic dispute, Seals was shot in the jaw by his former spouse. He miraculously recovered and continued touring. Two years later he had his left leg amputated as a result of diabetes. What would have surely forced most performers into retirement only made Seals more dedicated to his music and audience. He came back in 2000, signing with Telarc Blues, and recorded Lettin' Go. Seals preferred to remain close to his Chicago home, holding his touring itinerary to an absolute minimum. Virtually every weekend he could be found somewhere on the Northside blues circuit, dishing up his raw-edged brand of bad blues axe to local followers. The blues ended for Son Seals on December 20, 2004; he passed away due to diabetes related complications.

Track 1 is I Can't Hold Out, an Elmore James standard. What a great way to start off this set. It kicks in with a start/stop motif and some heavy chords coming from Son's guitar and then the band comes together in one big explosion. Son's fiery guitar chops are all over this tune. Very inspiring for blues guitarists.

The next tune immediately changes the great fast start from the first song. Blue Shadows Falling is a good blues standard but it kind of interrupts the momentum that was established from I Can't Hold Out due to the songs slow feel. However, more great guitar licks come from Son and AC Reed lets out a soulful sax solo.

My personal favorite track is next. Funky B*tch is an awesome funky blues tune about a woman who's done Son wrong. Ladies, please try not to take offense here. Listen for the humor in the song. I mean come on, Son's not even close to the level of someone like Eminem when it comes to woman bashing. The funky grooves are what make this cut come to life. I prefer it to the most recent version that Son recorded with a couple of members from Phish on his Lettin' Go album. It's more funky and raw here. A definite classic!

Another slower number comes next. The Woman I Love redeems the possible negativity towards women that was conveyed in the previous song. A sweet little blues ballad.

Help Me, Somebody is a jumping paced number with a nice hook to it. This track shows the dynamics a great blues band is capable of bringing to a song. The middle section, in where the band cuts out except for the drums and Son, is refreshing to hear. Son knows how to lead a band and bring dynamics to a song in order to make the song more interesting.

She's Fine is another true blues song with a nice head bobbing bounce to it.

Detroit Jr.'s classic Call My Job is covered next. This one is done a bit slow but in an authoritative manner. A good choice.

Last Night is another great Chicago blues standard. It's a St. Louis Jimmy Oden song, I believe. Son's growling voice makes the pain in this song real. You can kind of feel the pain yourself the way Son sings this one.

Finally, Hot Sauce is a hot burning, original instrumental. Son's guitar licks are on fire! A great adrenalin pumping tune here folks and a nice showcase for Son to display his talent on his instrument.

On the whole, the CD is well worth the money and the time to listen to it. Guitar players would probably enjoy this disc the most. There's a great amount of guitar playing on this CD. However, some of Son's playing is a little repetitive. It doesn't hinder the CD but guitar players would probably notice the repetition. An average blues listener who enjoys songs rather than listening to long solos might skip through a few of the tracks here. The songs and playing on this CD is what you'll find on Son's other records in his catalog. What sets it apart from the others is the live aspect. This live set is more edgier than his 90s live disc LIVE: SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION. I'd go with this one instead. The rawness is what makes it great and the sound quality is more than acceptable.
Anyone looking to get into Son Seals should check this CD out first and also take a look at his Alligator records debut album, 'The Son Seals Blues Band'. They are the best representations of his work thus far.